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Todd Brodginski, Veteran Music Publicist & Art Garfunkel Manager Dies At 53
Todd Brodginski, a veteran music publicist who worked with MSO and founded his own company, Reckoning, in addition to working as Art Garfunkel’s manager, died on June 19 at the age of 53. No official cause of death has been cited, but he is said to have died of natural causes.
Brodginski had been a Pennsylvania native, graduating from Syracuse University in the early 1990s.
“Todd’s passion for music was apparent right from the start; he joined Levine/Schneider PR in 1991,” Mitch Schneider, Founder/Partner of SRO PR tells Pollstar via email. “He loved our client The Black Crowes – and drove across the country from the East Coast to L.A. to find us. Talk about chasing your dreams! He started as our intern and then became an official employee, moving from assistant to publicist. He was also part of the team of publicists who came with us when MSO PR was formed in 1995 and he became VP. He had excellent taste in music and a knowledge of classic rock that was notable for someone so young; clients, the media and his comrades at the company knew that and found it refreshing. Todd was adored and will be greatly missed.”
As an avid Black Crowes fan, Brodginski became the band’s publicist while working with Schneider, with his client list growing to include the Allman Brothers Band, the Grateful Dead, Jeff Lynne, Everclear, Wynonna Judd, Dwight Yoakam, Megadeath, Jim Lauderdale, The Smashing Pumpkins, Aerosmith, and Art Garfunkel – the last of whom he would go on to manage.
“Beyond being a hard-working publicist, Todd was a well-liked and respected man,” Marcee Rondan, a partner of SRO, tells Pollstar via email. “The outpouring of love and support from all those whom he touched in his life has been tremendous and will hopefully provide some comfort to his loved ones.”
In 2014, Brodginski left MSO to start his own PR company, Reckoning. Garfunkel had followed him from MSO to Reckoning and later enlisted Brodginski as his manager in 2016.
Brodginski’s family is asking those who are interested in paying their respects to donate to the animal shelter, No-Kill Los Angeles (NKLA). Brodginski leaves his wife, Marin and two daughters, Hadley and Millie.